Vehicle



A. J. BORST, Jn. VEHICLE.

APLlcATmu FILED uv/28,1918.

1,374,352. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

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A. l. BURST, In.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 28| HHB. 1,374,352. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

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lpecication ot'Letterl Patent. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

application ma im as, im. semi le. msec.

To allwhomitmaycomem:

Beit known that I, ANDREW J. Bons'r, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Bualo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Vehicles, yof which the following is a s cification.

Mry invention re ates to improvements in vehicles, and more particularly to that typen of vehicle including a tractor and trailer or semi-trailer.

Considerable diiculty has been experienced in the operation of trailers or semitrailers attached to tractors, due to' the fact that it has been extremely diicult to control the movement of the trailer when backing up. As trailers are invariably used for carrying heav loads to and from freight houses,

ware ouses, factories, etc., arranged for loadin or unloading wares and material throng and from the rear ends of vehicles, it has been found necessary in many cases to back trailers into very close spaces, and in some instances into narrow driveways, which would permit only sli ht deviation from a strai ht course, but this it has been found diflicut to do without damaging propertIy or the trailer itself.

n the common form of coupler used for coupling a trailer to a tractor, whether equip ed with a fifth wheel or otherwise designe any slight deviation of the tractor from a straight course would swing the rear end of the trailer in a direction opposite that in which the tractor halppened to be positioned, with the result t at the operator of the tractor would not be able to control the movement of the trailer or movedvehicle.

, One of the primary .objects of my inven- ,tion is to provide a trailer coullin'g by means of which the trailer may be el in direct alinement or at any angle, within certain limits, to the tractor.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a coupling having a part thereof secured to the tractor and a part thereof attached to the trailer, the coperatmg inembers of said couphng being easily and condisconnected lin var underneatlthe trailer and the two parts of the coupling connected in a to permit lthe trailer to travel at angaiigleto the tractor. 4 v

Another object of my invention is to pro` v idera coupling having selective means for limiting the angularity of the trailer with reference to the tractor.

A further object is to provide a connection between the trailer and tractor having brake-mechanism whereby the trailer may be held in ahnement with the tractor, or at ang angle thereto.

till further obects are to provide a coupling of this kin which is simple, which consists of few parts; and which can be eaily manipulated.

ith these and other objects in view to be hereinafter` set forth, the invention consists in a coupling having mean for holding the trailer in the desired position with reference to the tractor; in selective means for limit? ing the angular movement of the trailer with re erence to the. tractor, 4and in the novel features of construction arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and more aritcularly pointed out in the subjoined c aims. y

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation `of my improved vehicle illustrated as comprisin a tractor and semi-trailer coupled toget er, part of the tractor being broken awa to `more fully disclose certain features o my invention. f

Fi 2 is a view of the rear end of a tractor and a semi-trailer disconnected, the front end of said semi-trailer bein held elevated by a suitable support to enab e the rear end of the tracmr te be moved underneath the front end of said semi-trailer.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on line a, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlar d horizontal section taken on line b-b ig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line oc, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through the front end of the trailer cou ling -member and the rear portion of the ti ting platform of the tractor.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail'view showing 4'the controlling lever for manipulating thev selective means whereby the trailer may be 'held at the desired angle with reference to the tractor.

Fi 8 is a vertical section taken on line d-dg Fis 4- Reference being had to the drawings in detail, like numerals refer to like parts in the several gures.

The reference numeral 10 designates the tractor and 11 the trailer, shown in the drawings in the form of what is generally termed a semi-trailer, due to the fact that no wheels are provided at the front end of the trailer body.

While this invention is illustrated in connection with a semi-trailer, it is to be understood that it may be as readily used in connection with a trailer havin a wheel or wheels at its front end in ad ition to those vof this p atform has one end of a chain 15 secured thereto, the 'other end being secured to a rigid portion of, the tractor body, as at 16. This chain serves to arrest the rearward tilting movement of the platform after it reaches a certain inclination.

It is to be understood that certain advantages of my invention may be secured even though the platform be rigid; or, the rigid body portion may b'e extended and the rear end thereof serve as a platform.

It is also to be understood' that the platform may be tilted by supportin the same in any one of various other` ways t an herein shown, and I do not wish to limit myself to a tilting platform nor to the manner of su ortin or tilting the same.

here 1n the claims reference is made to a platform without describin the characteristics thereof, it is intend to mean any portion of the tractor ca able of supporting the front end of the trai er.

17 designates a bearin secured to the platform 14, this bearing eing constructed to open upwardly throu h the top of the platform. Arranged on t e platform is the rotatable coupling member 18 of m improved coupling. This coupling mem er is elon ated and the front portion thereof is parallel sided while the rear ortion is tapered and the extremity of said tapered portion rounded. It also has a depending stud 19 rotatable in the bearing 17. To the lower end of said stud the hub 20 of a brakedrum 21 is secured, said brake-drum having a peripheral iiange 22 around which a brake-band 23 is arranged.

At the front end o the trailer a rigid coupling member 24 is arranged. This couyplin member is in the form of a channeled castlng closed at its rear end, as at 25, 'and having an upwardly curved or rounded amena front portion extenda forward from the body of the trailer, o a skid-like member. As clearly shown m Fig. 6, the spaced POrtions of this casting have antifriction rollers 26 along the lower edgesv at their front ends, for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

Therotatable coupling member 18 has a transverse bolt hole 27, and the spaced portions of said rigid coupling member have alined holes 28. When the rotatable coupling member is properl entered between the spaced portions of the rigid coupling member, the bolt holes of these members are in alinement and a bolt 29 is assed therethrough to secure the two toget er and consequently the trailer to the tractor, a nut 30' bem threaded onto the end of said bolt.

T e web or disk portion of` the brakedrum 21 has a radial slot 31 formed therein which opens at the periphery of said drum, and two series of segmental slots 32, 33, respectively, extending forwardly and rearwardly from said radial slet, the slots of each series being diminished in length inwardly toward the axis of the brake-drum.

Secured to the platform 14 in any suitable manner is a support 34 in the form of a transverse bar having a slot 35 re istering with the radial slot 31 in the rakedrum, and at opposite sides of the slot 35, guide-bars 36 are arran ed which provide grooves 37 in which a ide member 38 is adapted to slide, said member havin an u standing stud 39 normally spaced om t e exterior of the brake-drum and adapted to be moved into the radial slot 31 o? said drum in line with any two Segmente of the two series formed in the brake-drum, or said stud ma be positioned against the inner end 0f sai radial slot.

slots Extending forwardly underneath the top of the platform 14 is a rock-shaft 40 to which an arm 41 is secured, the outer end of which has p ivotal connection with a link 42 which 1s pivotall connected to a lug 43 formed on said siding member. For conveniently manipulating said rock shaft, aV

mon. The extent ofthia movement will vern the amount of rotation of the rock s aft 40 and con uently the extent of movement of the stud 9 operatively connected with said rock shaft. In this manner the stud can be moved entirely clear of the brakedrum, into the radial slot thereof in lalineasv-asas ment with any one of the segmental slots of the two series formed in said drum, or against the inner-yend of said radial slot.

When in the position shown in Fig. 3, the trailer is free to ivel and assume any angle with reference 3V the tractor. When said stud is moved in line with the two longest segmental slots brake-drum, the stud 39 will move into one or the other of said segmental slots, depending on the direction of angularity of the trailer, and when the stud strikes the end of the segmental slot in which it has been entered, it will limit further angular movement of the trailer with reference to the tractor. When the stud is moved in line with eitlier of the intermediate segmental slots of the two series, the same action takes place, except that the limit of angularity will be reached sooner, due to the stud striking the end of the slot at a lesser angle.

his angular movement is further limited by the inner or shortest segmental slots of the sries, and when the stud is placed against the inner end of the radial slot 31 the trailer is held in direct alinement with the tractor. The stud 39, the parts for moving the same and the radial and segmental slots in the brake-drum constitute the selective means for limiting the angular movement of the trailer with reference to the tractor.

The brake-band 23 is positioned around the brake-drum and has opposite ends secured to a lever 48 at op osite sides of its. pivotal point 49. One en of said lever has one end of a cable 50 secured thereto, the other end of which is secured to an operating lever pivoted between its ends, as at 5l. It is therefore apparent that the brake-band may be tightened at any time regardless of the position of the trailer with reference to the tractor, and that by ti htening the brake-band around the bra e-drum the trailer Will be held in any position that it may be in. In order to keep the brake-band in proper position around the drum when loose, a clip 54 is secured thereto, through which a rod 55 is assed; said rod having its upper end secured) in a bracket 56 secured to the under side of the platform and having a cotter pin 57 passed therethrough directly beneath and in contact with the lower end of said clip. To allow a change in position requires merely the loosening of the brakeband, whereupon the trailer is permitted to adjust itself to the direction of the force applied thereto, after which the brake-band may again be tightened to hold the trailer in the desired position until a change of position is again advisable.

It will be a parent from the foregoin that the brakeand may be used indepen ent of the selective means for limiting the angular movement of the trailer with referof the two series in the ence to the tractor, or that said selective means ma be used independent of the brake-band); but a decided advantage is che tained by co" of my invention since by means of the segmental slots 32, 33, the desired an ularity for rounding certain corners and acking the vehicle into certain s aces may have been previosuly ascertaine and by arranging the stud 39 in line with the desired segmental slot, the stud may be brought against the end of the slot and be maintained in such position by means of the brake-band 23, which, when ti htened around the drum, will hold the trager in position `and prevent movement of the stud away from the end of the segmental slot.

It is to be noted that I have provided a swinging support 52 to hold the front end of the semi-trailer elevated when disconnected from the tractor, and when the trailer is so elevated the tractor may be moved backward underneath the front end of the trailer body, during which movement the tractor coupling member may'be entered into the trailer coupling member, and when the rear end of said tractor Icoupling member strikes the inner end of the channel in said tractor coupling member, the openings in both members will be in alinement to receive the horizontal coupling .l pin 29, by means of which the two coupling members are connected.

It is to be noted that due to the latform 14 being tilted rearwardly and the fi-ont end of the trailer coupling member being rounded, the latter serves as a skid to facilitate its riding onto said platform, which is greatly aided by the anti-friction rollers 26, and when in proper position Vwith reference to the coup ing member on the platform, will have positioned said platform into horizontal position. After the trailer is coupled to the tractor the sup ort 52 may be swung from the positions own in Fig. 2'to that shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose, the support has a segmental arm 53 pivotally secured thereto which passes upwardly through a loop secured tothe side of the trailer body, a set screw being threaded through the loop to impinge against said se mental arm and retain the support in eit er of its two positions.

Having thus described my invention, what claim 1s,-

1.. The combination of a tractor and a trailer pivotally connected together, an element rotatable to conform to the angular movements of said trailer with respect to said tractor and having a series of segmental slots of different lengths, and an arresting element movable toward and from the pivot permitting such angular movements so as to enter any of the slots of said series.

2. The combination of a tractor having a peration of these two features` member on the other platform normally inclined rearwardly., a couphng member on said platform, a trailer having a skid-like member adapted to be engaged by the upper face of said latform when said plat orm is moved ba ardly ,underneaththe front end of said trailer, said skid-like coupling member being adapted to sw' said platform into horizontal position w en said platform is moved underneath said trailer, and means for connectin said coupling member.

3. e combination of two vehicles, an upwardly extending coupling member on one of said vehicles Vand a downwardly extending longitudinally channeled coupling vehicle having an end opening and in the channel of which said first-mentioned member is entered, and

means for connecting said coupling members r together.

4e. The combination of two vehicles, an upstanding coupling member on one of said vehicles havin channeled coup 'ng member dependin from the other vehicle and having the c annel thereof conforming in shape to that of the first-mentioned coupling member, said rstmentioned couplin member being entered in said channel, an a horizontal element for coupling said members together.

5. The combination of a tractor having a ptform and an upstanding coupling memy rising from said platform, a trailer having a channeled coupling member in which said first-mentioned coupling member is entered, said second-mentioned con ling me .ber having its under side rounded upwardly a't its front end, and means for connecting said coupling members together.

6. The combination of a tractor having a platform at its rear end i'ovidedV with an upstanding coupling mem er having a tapered rear portion, a trailer having a dependi coulin member at its iront end, the un er si e o which is adapted to bear against the upper face of said dp atform, and being rounded at its front en said secondmentioned coupling member `being channeled and having the channel corresponding in shape to said first-mentioned coupling member to receive the same, and means for connecting said couplin members.

7. The combination o a tractor having a pivotally-supported platform at its rear end, said (platform being rovided with an elongate coupling mem sided front portion and a ta ered rear tion terminating in a roun ed rear en a said secon -mentioned a coupling member channeled to the shape of said first-mentioned cou ling memberP the under side of oo uplin member y trailer having ing adapted to bear a t e u perface o f said platform and ing roun ed at its a tapered rear portion, a

er having a parallel front end, and means for connecting said coupling members together.

8. The combination of atractor having a platform normally inclined rearwardly, a cou li member on said latform, a semi` trai er aving traction w eels at its rear end, movable supports at its front end to hold the same elevated and a skid-like coupling member adapted to be engaged by the upper face of said pilttform when said platform is moved bac ardly underneath the front'end of said trailer, said skid-like couplin member being adapted to swing said plat orm into horizontal position when said platform is moved underneath said trailer, and means for connecting said coupling members.

9. The combination of a tractor having a rotatable coupling member, a brake-drum secured to said coupling member, a brakeband surrounding said brake-drum, means for actuating said brake-band, a trailer, a skid-like couplin member depending from the front end o said trailer and rigidly connected thereto, and means for connecting said skid-like couplin member to said rotatable couplin mem er.,

10. The com ination of a tractor and a trailer pivotally connected together horizontally, an element rotatable to conform to the angular movement of said trailer with respect to the tractor and having a series of segmental slots of diiferent lengths, and an arresting element adjustable to enter any of the slots of said series but being immovable in the direction of the trend of said slots.

11. The combination of a tractor having a rotatable coupling member, a trailer having a rigid coupling member to which said rotatable member is connected, a disk rotatable with said rotatable' coupling member and havin a radial slot opening at the periphe o said disk and a plurality of segmenta slots of different lengths opening into said radial slotz a rigid member carried b the tractor having a slot in alinement wit said radial slot, a stud movable into and out of said radial slot and slidable in the slot of said ri 'd member, and means for positioning said stud in line with any of said segmental slots so that upon rotation of said disk said stud may enter the re 'staring slot and engage the end thereof to imit the anlar movement of said trailer.

12. The combination of two vehicles, a rotatable coupling member on one vehicle, a coupling member on the other vehicle con nected to'said rotatable member, an'd selective mechanism for limitin the angular movement of one of said vehicles with reference to the other, said selective mechanism having a portion Arotatable with said rotatable cou ing member and a portion movable axia y with reference thereto.

nausea 18. The combination of two vehicles!` a rotatablecoup member on one of sald veh icles having 1ts axis vertical or substantlally so, a coupling member on the other vehicle coudgd to said rotatable coupli member, a rotatable with said rotatab cou ling member and havin a radial slot an two series of segments slots opening into said radial slots from opposite sides, the slots of each series being segmentall shaped and of dilerent len hs a rigi member on said firstfmentione ve 'icle having a slot alined with said radial slot, a stud slidable in said rigid member and movable into said radial slot into alinement with any one of either series of segmental slots, and means for adjusting said stud.

14. The combination of a tractor having a platform, a rotatable coupling member journaled in said platform and proiectin u wardly therefrom, a trailer having a l e coupli member channeled to receive said rotatab e coupling member, the front end of said skid-like cou ling member being curved u wardly and avlng its bearing face provide with anti-friction elements.

15. The combination. of a tractor a pivotally-mountod platform normally inclined y, a eouplmg member rota having table in said platform and having an elonso gated coupliortion extending above said latform a or having a coupling memr secured to its front end and acllap toble con led said rorgatable p me r, sal rlgl y secu coup 86 mgier having its under side ada tod to bear against the up r side of said p atform and said under s1 e being rounded at .its front end and provided with anti-friction means adapted to come in contact with said 4o platform hen coupling the trailer to said tractor. Y 16. The combination of a tractor having a ivotall -supported latform at its rear en a tra' er, a vertice. y-disposed pivot ele- 45 ment connecting said trailer to the platform of said tractor, selective means forhmmm the angular movement of said trailer w1 reference to said tractor, a rock shaft mounted on said platform and `operativel conso nected with said selective means, a shaft secured to the front portion of said tractor, a universal joint connecting said rock shafts, andano tingelementsecuredtosaidsec` ond-menltirrled rock shaft. Q 56 l In testimony whereof I aix my slgnatnre.

ANDREW J'.Y BOBST, Jn.

- the front end of the trailer as the tractor pulls away DlgsoLAlMz-:R

1,374,352.-A1uirew J. Borst, 'r'., Hilfalo, N. Y. .VEHIcLEf Patent dated April 12, 1921. Disclaimer filed M1 ny 8, 1931, by the.assignee,Fmehauf Trailer Company.

ereby disclaims:

engaging 4member has a projecting part which,

ber to guide and allow fore and aft movement of the engaging members to and from linallcoupling relation by relative fore and aft tractor-trailer movement only, and

1n which the engaging members cooperate in an automatic elevation of the front en d of the trailer as the tractor backs into it in coupling and an automatic lowering of from it in uncoupling.

Gazette May 26', 1931.]

ll tractor-trailer combinations, as claimed in claim 2, except one in which one as the 'tractor backs into the trailer,A

lenters betweenspaced portions of the engaging surfaces on the other engaging mem- DIECI-AIM ER 1,374,352f-Andrew J. Borst, 'r. Bualo, N. Y. VEHICLE. Patent dated April 12, 1921. Disclaimer ed Fabrum 17, 1934, by the mignee, Fmhauf {IFI-mik:Il Company. Y

Hreby disclims claims 2 and 8. ,[Ocial Gazette March 13, 1.234.] 

